Improvement in boiler-furnaces



BENJAMIN I:` SMITH.

Improvement In Boiler Furnaces.

No. 125,148. Pafentedg'AprI2,1872.)

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IMPROVEMENT IN BOILER-FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,148, dated April 2,18752; antcdatedMarch 13, 1872.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that LBENJAMIN F. SMITH, of New Orleans, in the parish ot"Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Furnaces for the Prevention ot' Smoke, &c., of Which'thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying' drawing and the letters ot' reference markedthereon making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is avertical sectional view of the boiler. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview on the line a' a', Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end and side view ofthefire-bricks.

The object of my invention is to provide a device which, in connectionwith the ordinary boiler-furnace and bridge-Wall now generally used,shall not only insure that the carbonicoxide gas shall be thoroughlyconsumed, but also the hydrogen gas. This I accomplish, and in thisconsists the essence of my invention-the bottom or resurface of theboiler with an air-tube or flue secured at such relative positionthereon that it shall be subjected to the direct action of the heat andflame of the furnace, and also so as to leave only a narrow passage forthe escape of the gases to a combustion-chamber. This tube is soconstructed that it shall constantly feed air to the combustionchamber,and which,being heated in its passage through the tube, forms, at'- terit enters the chamber, a bed or stratum, as it were, of hot air.Immediately below the boiler, under this stratum or bed of air, thehydrogen gas is compelled to pass, and, being exceedingly volatile, sosoon as itenters, has a tendency to rise. This insures its interminglingwith the air in such manner as to secure its thorough consumption in thecombustionchamber, thus preventing smoke and waste of fuel.

The construction and operation of my invention are as follows: A is theboiler, B the furnace, a-nd C the hollow bridge-wall, all constructed inthe usual manner. The bridgewall C is provided with openings c c, bymeans of which the air that is introduced and heated in the air-passageO escapes into the combustion-chamber D. E is a tube or flue thatsurrounds the bottom crown-sheet or resurtace ofthe boiler. This tubemay be of metal or other suitable material, and connected with thehollow bridge-wall C by a vertical tube, which also serves as itsbearing or support. When a tube of this style is used it should havenumerous lateral pert'orations for the escape ot' the air into thecombustion-chamber l); but I prefer to use the style ot' tube shown inthe drawing, and which is composed of a `series ot' nre-bricks, E E',held in position around the boiler by means ot' a yoke, F. This yoke FInay either be formed of a suitable metallic rod or of a metallic tube,which, when lilled with water, is not as lia-ble to be injured orai'ected by the intense heat, as is the rod.

This rod or tube F is held in suitable supports F F', and is so securedin connection with sprmgs ff as to allow of the expansion andcontraction of the metal, and at the same time hold the bricks E Ealways in proper position. These bricks are constructed of suitablenre-clay, and are ofthe form shown in Fig. 3, and are recessed at e tofurnish a suitable bearing or retaining surface for the rod or tube F. Ihave described this tube E, and which is formed of the bricks E E', asit' it were to be designed as an air-tube and for supplying the chamberD with the same, it being discharged through the little air-passages e eformed on the edge of the bricks; but, instead of this tube being thusformed and used for the purpose stated, I may use it as a Water-tube,with a much smaller air-,tube behind it, in which case the water-tubeserves to protect the air-tube and deflect the gases as they escape fromthe furnace into the cham ber. I can also accomplish the same object byarranging under the boiler a series ot' water-tubes, on which is placeda layer of perforated tire-bricks. This furnishes a greatly-increasedre-sur'ace. When this arrangement is used the gases, as they escape fromthe furnace, pass through the perforar-tions in the bricks, and,commingling with the air which is introduced from the front of theboiler, are consumed. B B are the grate-bars, and may be of the hollowperforated form, although I prefer and contemplate using those describedin my patent of September 5, 1871.

The advantages of the improvement herein described will be bestunderstood by a brief description of its operation. According to thepresent arrangement ot' furnace, bridge-wall, and boiler, the spacebetween the latter and the upper face of the bridge-Wall C is entirelyunobstructed; the consequence is, the gases, as they escape from theJfurnace, ascend directly to the crown-sheet or lower surface ot' theboiler, and which not being' heated over 3500 the hydrogen gas is cooledbelow the burning point, (between 800O and 9000;) hence they passdirectly along the surface of the boiler to the smoke-stack, from which,unconsunied, they escape; but with my arrangement it is entirelydifferent. Through the tube E air is received from above, and which,being heated in its passage through the tube, is discharged into thechamber D through the openings e e in the tire-bricks E E', and henceimmediately under the boiler there is'constantly a stratum or bed ofair. As the gases leave the furnace they strike against the tube E andare deected down through the narrow an gular passage b, which is formedby the bridgewall C and tube E. The carbonio oxide, being the heaviest,closely hugs the face of the bridge-wall, and, as it passes, comminglingwith the air which is discharged through the openings c c of thebridge-Wall, its thorough combustion is secured. The hydrogen, beinglighter, impinges against the tube E, the intense heatof which willraise this gas to the degree of heat at which it will burn, and, at

this point, meeting the air in the chamber D,

is also thoroughly consumed. This entire and thorough consumption of thegases destroys all s moke and adds greatly to the heat of the furnace.Thus it will be seen that the products of partially-consumed combustion,which are invariably Wasted, with my improvement are all saved.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. The combustion-chamber D and tube E, with orifices e e opening towardsaid chamber, and arranged in such relative position to the boiler andbridge-Wall as to operate substantially as described, as and for thepurpose specified.

2. The tube E, formed of bricks E E', and yoke F, when the same arearranged in connection with the boiler, so as to operate substantiallyas described.

3. The tube E, yoke F, and springs f f, when the same are so combinedand arranged as to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereot'I have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BENJ. F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

EDWIN .IM/rus, THOMAS BROWN.

